Harley Cat Feb 2009 N. Minnesota

[Bitter Swede]

1991 1200cc Sporty 5-speed, in a 1999 AC. Loud, slow, heavy, hard to ride, and FUN. Old Guys Rule!

 

[steelhead]

This is the coolest thing you will ever see.
(vested interest)

 

[sledaholic]

the shifter is actually hooked up? is it top heavy

 

[steelhead]

Hooked up.
The weight is low enough so it isn't a problem. We ride it more like a '72 Olds Delta Royale 455 vs. a 2009 Porshe.

 

[Bitter Swede]

Its an aluminum Hurst shifter, upside down. Uses the sled pull-starter recess which looks like it was meant to be. Hooked to a shaft that crosses the bulkhead to engage the LH side shifter on the HD motor. Shifting is slow, you've got to drop your throttle hand but it works fine. The way sleds slow down, you have to wrap the old gear more than a street bike to compensate for the extra slowing of the sled so the new gear is engaged at the desired rpm. Do it again; I'd use a big twin without the tranny, HD primary belt drive to a jackshaft carrying the primary sled clutch. That way you can gear the jackshaft up to sled-motor rpms. Still have to tune the primary clutch for earlier engagement to take advantage of the big twin power-band. Yes, yes, still going to be heavy and slow but this is about noise, chrome and smiles. We'll leave the rocket-sledding to the indestructible...

 

[Bitter Swede]

Oh, as for the question of it being top-heavy. What we've found is that with all that weight on the front it sort of "pins" the skis flat to the trail. There's no ski lift at all. Granted we're just riding at moderate speeds and that's all it will ever be but you can actually just sit and steer at speeds where lighter sleds start lifting the inside ski. It was a surprise to us actually, we were nervous about high-siding in the turns; doesn't happen at all. But its a rock. Got powder ski's which help on the lake.